octoberfaction_sd4

The October Faction: Supernatural Dreams #4 Review

Written By: Steve Niles

Artist: Damien Worm

Lettering By: Shawn Lee

Cover by: Damien Worm

Published By: IDW Publishing

 

Let me begin by confessing that I have not read any of the previous issues of this comic, and only a couple issues of The October Faction main storyline. I am not as drawn to this series as I was to some of Steve Niles’ other books (that I happen to have gotten signed when I met him not once, but twice – okay, enough bragging).

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From the get go, the premise is a little bit…tired. I think it could have been exciting to see this monster hunting family if it had been done a little more creatively, but the books I’ve looked into, including this issue, have left me wanting. I think one of the reasons the story doesn’t leave a lasting impression is that the characters are quite flat, even for a horror comic. There’s no real meat to them and so I don’t feel like a ton is at stake when they’re in danger. The dialogue is strong in some parts and cheesy in some other parts; it certainly doesn’t live up to my expectations of Niles, who has previously written some great lines.

The artwork is cool; the style fits the genre well, but there is also something lacking here. The backgrounds of most of the panels are sparse, and sometimes it works and other times, I just feel that I don’t have enough to flesh out the space. Another aspect that annoyed me was that the angles and views of the scenes and characters were pretty repetitive, which was a letdown for such an action heavy comic. Now let’s talk colors. I like the mood created by the colors, but sometimes they really made me cringe, particularly the magic bursts of fire and well, magic. There could have been a lot more to these that would have filled some of those empty spaces…just saying.

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I’m not entirely disappointed; the comic had its moments and I don’t regret reading it. However, this is one series I don’t think I’ll be checking into anymore. It’s just not twisted or scary enough, which I never thought I’d be saying about a Steve Niles book. I’m still a fan of his, though, and I have really been looking forward to Delta 13. I hope it delivers all of the stuff that was missing from The October Faction for me.

Overall: 6/10

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